Wedge operated construction clamp



March 31, 1953 H. P. map-rum:

WEDGE OPERATED CONSTRUCTION CLAMP Filed Nov. 25, 1949 4 Zhwentor, fizz/van A N5 700:"

(Ittomeg Patented Mar. 31, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,633,167 I WEDGE OPERATED CONSTRUCTION CLAMP I Herman P. Neptune, Los Angeles, Calif. Application November 25, 1949, Serial No. 129,400

2 Claims. (Cl. 144-291) The present invention relates to clamps and particularly to a corner or panel clamp for use in building construction.

It is customary in concrete structures to provide pairs of spaced form boards backed by studs and wales between which formboards the concrete is poured. To maintain the wall thickness and likewise provide a smooth wall, it is customary to secure the form boards, studs and. wales together.

, The present invention provides a clamp adapted to engage certain of the form structural elements and which clamp will hold the various parts in position of service without the necessity of using nails or other means for holding the members together. The clamp of the invention is readily placed, in position, and after it has performed the function required of it, it is easily removed for use elsewhere.

The clamp may be utilized for securing various panel sections together and which aifords in this respect a simple device which performs its function in an eflicient manner in that it assures that the vertical panel joints are all in alignment. I

The clamp is'so constructed as to function efficiently in various assumed positions. For instance, the clamp may hold two vertical studs together, it may hold various vertical or horizontal boards in juxtaposition, or effectively hold corner postsv against wales. To accomplish the various functions before-mentioned, the clamp is formedxin a particular manner.

V The invention is inexpensive in cost of manufacture, and may be used repeatedly, practically now known to the inventor for securing form members in position of service.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of a corner construction generally employed where a concrete wall is to be poured;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a further adaptation of the invention for securing panel sections along a vertical joint;

Figure 3 shows use of the invention for holding horizontal members in juxtaposition;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the invention;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring now with particularity to the drawing, in Figure 1, I have shown a construction commonly known as a concrete corner form for unbreakable, andis generally superior to devices the reason that concrete is poured between certain of the members to form a wall of some character, whether it be a foundation, or the side wall for a building. The construction in said figure includes form boards I which are backed by studs 2, the studs in turn abutting wales 3. Usual practice is to secure the form boards to the studs at spaced points, and then fasten the studs to the wales. This may be done in several Ways, such as by nailing, or by providing plates and screws for holding the said members in assemblage. Figure 1 particularly shows a corner .and wherein it will be observed that the form boards at 4 meet other form boards at a right angle. There is provided at 5 a corner post, and the wales shown at 3 and 6 cross at sides of said post 5 with the said wales in overlapped relationship as shown. As the post 5 is not nailed, to the wales, in the present instance, the clamp I of the invention is utilized. Two of said clamps I are provided one for each Wale and positioned on the outer ends of said wales. Usually, the wales are of the so-called 2 by 4 type and in order to hold the wales and the corner post in position of assemblage, the clamps are arranged so as to frictionally engage the wales when some means such as wedges 8 engage the clamps and the corner post.

The clamp I is depicted in Figures 4 and 5 wherein said clamp includes a pair of legs 9 and I0 interconnected by a bridging piece II. The legs 9 and II] are substantially parallel and the inner face I2 of leg I0 is provided with a central elongated rib I3. The rib may vary in depth from the bridging piece II to the end of the leg as shown. This rib is substantially triangular in cross section so as to have a sharp edge portion I4. The leg 9 takes the form shown in the several figures and has greater transverse width than the leg Ill. The leg 9 has sides I5 and I6 which diverge from the bridging piece II and which likewise diverge outwardly from the inner wall surface I9 of said leg. In other words, if the planes of the sides I5 and I6 projected transversely, the projected planes would meet in a line parallel to the bridging piece I I and in the central longitudinal vertical plane of the clamp. The inner wall surface I9 has a width substantially equal to the base width of the bridging piece I I, see Figure 5. This construction provides relieved corner portions at 20 and 2I for the said leg and sharp edges at 22 and 23. The construction for the clamp is such that the leg 9 may be recessed or grooved at 24, while the bridging piece II and leg III may be reduced in thickness, as

3 indicated generally at 25, thus providing a central web 26. Such a construction maintains the strength of the clamp while at the same time reduces its weight and renders easier handling of the same.

Several adaptations and uses of the invention are shown in the figures and particularly in Figure 1 wherein the said clamps are canted across the respective wales 3 and 6 which will bring the ribs l3 i-nto impaling engagement with sides of the wales. When a wedge 8 is driven between the corner post and the surface I5 or 16 of the leg 9,

the edge 23 will engage the side of the'wale so that the clamp is in binding engagement with the said wale and in pressure engagement with the corner post through the medium of the wedge 8.

oftentimes, it is desired to bring form boards into a vertical joint as shown in Figure 2 wherein form boards 2'! and 2'! are to be held together. To accomplish this, the end of the form boards are secured to studs 28 and '29. If the studs are drawn together, it is evident that the edges of the form boards 2! and 27' will be drawn together. To accomplish this, top and bottom clamps are provided and wherein the legs 9 and I9 engage the studs 28 and 29 with a wedge 39 driven between the stud 29 and the inner surface 19 of leg 9. The rib l3 prevents any lide movement of the clamp while the Wedge 39 is being driven between the leg 9 and the stud.

In Figure 3, there is provided flooring 3| carried on one or more joists '32. To bring the various flooring members together, the clamps may be utilized in the manner shown in said figure and wherein the bridging piece ll straddles the joist. The clamp' is canted at an angle to the joist by inserting a wedge between an edge of the flooring and a side of the clamp leg 9. The angular side and I5 of leg 9 will cant the clamp across the joist when the wedge is driven between said angular side and an edge of the outermost flooring member. Quite obviously, one of the edges 22 or 23 will engage one side of the joist while the rib I8 engages the opposite side of said joist. It is assumed, of course, that two clamps are being utilized or that the opposite edge of the said flooring is being held against movement.

The only difference between that form of clamp shown in fragment in Figure 6 and the clamp shown in the other figures is in the use of a convex inner surface 33 for leg 9 in place of the plane surface l9. The convex surface allows the clamp to engage the side of a stud, joist or wale without actually impaling the surface.- Such convexity prevents any slippage of the clamp when engag- 4 ing a member, and allows swinging'movement on narrow pieces of lumber.

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention are undoubtedly apparent to those skilled in the art from the description given. However, to release the clamps, the workman need only remove the wedge by striking or tapping the narrowest end thereof, whereupon the clamps may be removed and utilized in other locations. The clamps effectively do away with the use of nails which oftentimes splinter the wales, joists and other construction units and render the same unserviceable. Furthermore, the use of clamps of the character of the invention permits rigid assemblage of the various form members on the job and in difiicult locations. The clamps are quickly applied to a member, moved to a selected position adjacent a member, such as for instance sides of post 5, followed by driving wedges 8 between the post and sides of legs 9.

I claim:

'1. A wedge operated construction clamp including: a bridging piece, a pair of legs spacedly depending from the ends of and from the same side of said bridging piece-and substantially perpendicular thereto, one of said legs bei-ng substantially triangular in form, projections length-wise and transversely of the-sides thereof intersecting in the central longitudinal vertical plane of the clamp.

2. A wedge operated construction clamp including: a bridging piece, a pair of spaced apart legs depending from the same side of said bridging piece and perpendicular thereto, one of said legs being substantially triangular in form, the projected planes of theouter side surfaces of said triangular leg longitudinally of said bridging piece intersecting in the central longitudinal vertical plane of the clamp, and the other of said pair of legs provided with an elongated rib extending substantially longitudinal of and on the inner surface thereof.

HERMAN P. NEPTUNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,150,962 Pederson Aug.'2 l, 1915 1,312,230 Booth Aug. 5, 1919 1,504,172 Willey Aug. 5, 1924 1,998,597 Stuart Apr. 23, 1935 2,037,736 Payne et al.. Apr. 21, 1936 2,459,681 Garden Jan. 18, 1949 

